Methought I Saw my Late Espoused Saint (Sonnet 23) Appearances Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Line)

Quote #4

Her face was veil'd, yet to my fancied sight,Love, sweetness, goodness in her person shin'dSo clear as in no face with more delight. (10-12)

Because her face is veiled, the glimpse the speaker is able to get of his wife is not of her physical appearance, but of her "person," a term that indicates the combination of body and soul. By saying her spiritual qualities shine in her person "as in no face with more delight," the speaker suggests that being able to perceive the spiritual qualities of a person is a superior type of vision than being able to make out the physical features of a face. Yeah, that sounds about right to us.